On 25 July 1914, Laszlo Count Szogyeny, the Austro-Hungarian Ambassador to Germany (pictured), sent a coded private telegram to Leopold Count Berchtold, the Austro-Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs. In his telegram, Szogyeny informs Berchtold of the conversation of the German Ambassador to France with the French government regarding the crisis with Serbia.

Laszlo Count Szogyeny

Count Szogyeny to Count Berchtold. Berlin, 25 July 1914.

Cyphered.— Strictly private.

Servia.

Today, the Under Secretary of State [Arthur Zimmermann] read me the telegram of the German Ambassador in Paris, on his conversation with the French Minister of Justice, representing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs [see post], in which the French government uses moderate language and hopes that our conflict with Servia will remain localised, but fears Russia’s possible recriminations.

The impression in the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs is that the French government will try to avoid a general conflict.